Nepal Tightens Border Security as Deported Former Bhutanese Refugees from the U.S. Enter the Country

Nepal has intensified security measures at its border checkpoints due to the increasing likelihood of former Bhutanese refugees, deported from the United States, entering the country. The move follows the arrest of several individuals in Jhapa district’s Beldangi refugee camp, prompting local authorities to bolster border vigilance.

According to the Jhapa District Police Office, the situation escalated after the detention of 36-year-old Roshan Tamang and two others on Saturday from the Beldangi camp. Tamang, previously convicted of sexual offenses in the US, had his green card revoked before being deported.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Khagendra Khadka from the Jhapa District Police Office told NepYork that the arrested individuals were handed over to the Immigration Office in Kakadbhitta. However, due to limited space at the immigration facility, they were transferred back to police custody.

The detainees had arrived at Bhutan’s Paro International Airport on Friday, where Bhutanese authorities provided them food before releasing them at the Phuentsholing border with India. From there, they crossed into Nepal via the Panitanki border, eventually reaching Beldangi by Friday night. Acting on tips from locals, police arrested them the following day.

Authorities explained that although the US deported these individuals to Bhutan, the Bhutanese government refused to recognize them as citizens, leading to their entry into Nepal. DSP Khadka noted that the three were among ten deported by the US, with police now searching for the remaining seven, unsure whether they remain in Bhutan or are hiding in Nepal.

The Immigration Office in Kakadbhitta confirmed that the deportees’ green cards were canceled due to criminal activities in the US, primarily sexual offenses. Bhutan’s refusal to accept them has left Nepal grappling with how to handle their presence, creating a legal and logistical dilemma.

The Immigration Department has yet to determine a solution and is consulting higher authorities, a process expected to take time. Until then, the detainees will remain in police custody. Jhapa’s Chief District Officer, Gopal Kumar Adhikari, described the situation as unprecedented for Nepal, emphasizing the need for coordination with immigration officials and higher authorities to decide on potential immigration actions. No clear course of action has been established yet.

The detained individuals were originally part of a third-country resettlement program facilitated by the United Nations, through which they were granted refugee status and relocated to the US. However, their involvement in crimes led to the revocation of their green cards.

Roshan Tamang, for instance, was apprehended by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Cincinnati, Ohio, on March 11, 2025, after being convicted of serious sexual misconduct. Additional charges against him included interfering with arresting officers, drug possession, criminal mischief, and trespassing. ICE’s Detroit Field Office Director Robert Lynch highlighted Tamang’s offenses as posing a significant threat to the community. He was deported to Bhutan late March, following detention in Butler County Jail.

Nepal police is investigating the deportees’ backgrounds, including their activities in the US and any potential crimes committed in Nepal. Immigration officials stated that no further processing will occur until the police investigation concludes. The situation has raised concerns about what to do with individuals rejected by their country of origin. Bhutan’s refusal to accept these deportees, despite initially receiving them from the US, has complicated matters further. After landing in Bhutan, authorities transported them to the Indian border and released them, allowing their subsequent entry into Nepal.

Police are also on high alert for other potential arrivals. DSP Khadka urged locals to report unfamiliar individuals at the Beldangi camp, emphasizing that unverified entrants would be detained immediately. Authorities suspect that additional Bhutanese refugees deported by the US might attempt to enter Nepal, especially as India has also indicated it will not allow them to stay.